Packers Future: Regular Season Weeks 4-7
In part two, I looked ahead into the future and was able to see how exactly weeks one, two, and three will go for the Green Bay Packers. If you didn’t have the opportunity to read part two, then click here to catch up! This week I peer into the future to see the outcome for the Packers in weeks four through seven. This is Nostra-Damon: Peering Into The Packers Future Part Three.
Week 4: Lions at Packers
The Packers (2-1) welcomed in the Detroit Lions (2-1) to Lambeau Field on Thursday Night Football. Green Bay was coming off of a loss to the Saints while the Lions were coming in hot, having won the last two games against the Seahawks and the Falcons.
The Detroit Lions have had an electric offense all season and for the most part were able to keep up with the reigning champs back in week one. Their problem was still their defense and Green Bay was able to exploit it. This game was the polar opposite of what a Thursday Night Football game was a year ago. The Packers and Lions put on a show. The highest scoring game on Thursday Night Football was a 2017 bout between the Rams and the 49ers in which the Rams won 41 to 39. Notice the emphasized “was”.
Packers Future: Greatest Game Ever Played?
We all knew what this game was going to be from the opening kickoff when Keissean Nixon took the opening kickoff 109-yards and a touchdown. The Detroit Lions then came out on offense starting from their own 25-yard line when Jared Goff hit rookie Jahmyr Gibbs on a swing route in which Gibbs took it 75 yards for the score. Finally, the Packers offense made it onto the field, just for Jordan Love to hit Christian Watson for a 75-yard bomb and a score. This all took place with in the first minute of the game.
This pace for scoring kept up for most of the night. Whoever had the ball last was gonna win the game. The Lions scored and converted a two-point conversion with 30 seconds remaining in the game to take the lead. The crowd went quiet. Would Jordan Love and the Packers lose their second straight game at Lambeau?
The camera found Love and Doubs together on the sideline together talking and laughing. They were ready.
The Lions gave up some good kickoff yardage to Keissean Nixon. The Packers started at their one 35-yard line. Twenty seconds remain in the game. Love then hit Doubs on a crossing route to the 50-yard line. The Packers, with no time outs, had to hurry to the ball. Spike. Eight seconds remain. The next play Love threw a perfect sideline pass in the hole to Doubs, who was able to get out of bounds at the 38-yard line. Three seconds remain.
Then out came the Packers rookie kicker Anders Carlson. Carlson hit the ball hard and it went up, up, and up through the uprights. The Packers won the game with a Carlson 55-yard field goal.
Lions 43-Packers 45
Week 5: Packers at Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders had a rough start to the season and found themselves winless when they welcomed the Packers into Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders hadn’t had the best of luck all season long and had only been able to have success through Davante Adams, who was paced to set all of the receiving records in a single season. Before the game started, Adams and Brian Gutekunst could be seen talking on the sideline.
Throughout the game Jaire Alexander followed Davante Adams. It felt like the days of old when they would face each other in practice. Adams would win some, Alexander would win some. At the end of the game, they simply shook each other’s hands.
Undoubtedly, this game was not as dramatic as the prior week’s win against the Lions. The Packers won pretty easily. Tucker Kraft caught his first touchdown, after which he was seen pointing to his flexed bicep mouthing something inaudible.
Raiders 14-Packers 27
Week 6: Bye Week
Despite being a little earlier than most would have liked, the bye week was still much welcomed by everyone. The bye week also allowed for Rashan Gary to completely heal up from his ACL injury from last season. He has been playing limited snaps throughout the beginning of the season but after the bye week, he is planning on taking on more reps.
Week 7: Packers at Broncos
The Denver Broncos were 3-3 heading into week 7, but who could blame them? They had just lost close competitions against the Jets and the Chiefs after starting 3-1. The Broncos are a much better team this season under Coach Sean Payton.
Denver’s running game stepped up significantly against the Jets and the Chiefs when Javonte Williams finally took the lead back role coming back from a knee injury from the prior season. The Broncos used him and Sameje Perine well against the Packers.
Denver’s defense was stifling against the Packers and the Broncos ran the ball well. The Packers, having limited possessions, could not do enough to win. An interesting tidbit from this game: Anders Carlson set the Green Bay Packers record for the longest field goal made by nailing a 60-yarder in the mile-high air.
Broncos 20-Packers 13
The Packers end this stretch with a 4-2 record and the division lead. The Vikings are in second with a 4-3 record, followed by the Lions with a 3-4 record, and finally the Bears, who are 1-6.
The pontification continues next week when we look at the next three games starting with the Packers hosting the Vikings to see who will take the division lead. Who knows what might happen with this one?
I do.
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Damon is a diehard, fully-immersed cheesehead who currently lives in southern Missouri. He teaches at a local high school and has a family YouTube channel about all things Packers. You can follow him on twitter at @packersfamily and on YouTube at The Packers Family.
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